Different Forms of Energy

Energy has a number of different forms, All of which measure the ability of an object

or system to do work on another object or system. 

In other words, there are different ways that an object or a system can possess energy.

What are the different forms of energy?

Kinetic Energy: Potential Energy: Thermal, or heat energy: Electrical Energy Sound Energy:

Here are the different basic forms:

Consider a baseball flying through the air. The ball is said to have "kinetic energy“ It’s in motion relative to the ground.

Kinetic Energy:

You can see that it is has energy because it can do "work" on an object on the ground if it collides with it (either by pushing on it and/or damaging it during the collision). 

Kinetic Energy:

Consider a book sitting on a table. The book is said to have "potential energy" because if it is nudged off, gravity will speed up the book, giving the book kinetic energy.

Potential Energy:

The potential energy, and that energy is converted into kinetic energy as the book falls. 

Potential Energy:

Consider a hot cup of coffee. The coffee is said to possess "thermal energy", or "heat energy" which is really the kinetic of the molecules in the coffee (the molecules have kinetic energy because they are moving and vibrating

Thermal, or Heat energy:

Temperature is really a measure of how much thermal energy something has. The higher the temperature, the faster the molecules are moving around and/or vibrating,  

Thermal, or Heat energy:

All matter is made up of atoms, and atoms are made up of smaller particles, called protons (which have positive charge), neutrons (which have neutral charge), and electrons (which are negatively charged).

Electrons orbit around the center, or nucleus, of atoms, just like the moon orbits the earth. The nucleus is made up of neutrons and protons.

Electrical Energy

Some material, particularly metals, have certain electrons that are only loosely attached to their atoms. They can easily be made to move from one atom to another if an electric field is applied to them. When those electrons move among the atoms of matter, a current of electricity is created.

Electrical Energy

Sound is a type of energy made by vibrations.

Sound Energy: